BLM’s New Regulations for Submission of GeoSpatial Data for Oil and Gas Projects

In May 2007, the BLM revised its Onshore Order Number 1 - Approval of Operations which provides Federal oil and gas well permitting regulatory guidance for Industry project proponents. The revised Onshore Order has now established mandatory and optional geospatial database submission requirements for proposed oil and gas well project permit-related data.

This presentation will cover the following topics:

• An overview of BLM’s Onshore Order Number 1;
• The Order’s mandatory and optional geospatial database submission requirements;
• An overview of BLM’s electronic well permitting system and current direction; and
• Examples of ongoing interagency and industry collaboration on geospatial data utilization.

Speaker Biography

Jim Gazewood is a Senior Petroleum Engineer / Project Manager with the BLM Wyoming State Office in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Jim ‘s BLM career has spanned 25-years encompassed petroleum engineering and enterprise-level oil and gas program information technology development with positions held at BLM field offices, the Wyoming State Office, National Service Center and the Washington Office. Currently, Jim is the BLM Washington Office’s Energy Policy Act of 2005 – Section 365 Federal Permit Streamlining Pilot – Performance Assessment Project Manager for the Washington Office. Prior to joining BLM, Jim worked seven years within the natural gas exploration and production industry of southwestern Wyoming.

Mr. Gazewood graduated from the University of Wyoming with a Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering and has a Master’s Certificate in Project Management from George Washington University. Jim is currently the Government Co-Chair of the American Petroleum Institute – Petroleum Industry Data Exchange – Regulatory User’s Group or REGS. He is currently serving a three year Governor of Wyoming appointment to a five member State GIS Oversight Steering Committee, as Chairman. Jim is also BLM Wyoming’s technical representative within the Governor of Wyoming’s Energy Permit Streamlining & Strengthening (S&S) E-Permitting Portal Development Initiative.

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